(still) cleaning it out

Exactly one week ago, I embarked on a lil’ thing I like to call PROJECT CLEANOUT. In an effort to save my poor soul some money and make use of the random concoction of ingredients already stocked in my pantry, I vowed to only spend $30 at the grocery store and cook exclusively with what I had on hand.

How did I do on said project?

The academic in me would love to say: automatic A, of course! However, the small slice of realist in me (it exists in there somewhere) would probably look at the body of work I’ve accomplished over the past week before marking my paper with the power of the red pen…

4/18 “PROJECT CLEANOUT” ANALYSIS

Monday: Cooking a batch of Protein Pancakes ahead of time to devour for the week was a great use of ingredients – including flour, eggs, protein powder, wheat bran and almond meal – which you already had on hand. Good preparation and thinking ahead.

Tuesday: Instead of eating the food you had brought to work, you relied on food and candy supplied by co-workers. While this did not cost you any additional money, it did hold you back from truly eating up what you were supposed to.

Wednesday: While the overflow of hummus + carrots sitting in your fridge were handily consumed throughout the work day, you also chose to eat out with fellow bloggers + readers Wednesday night. This event was planned in advance and shall not count against you.

Thursday: Since there is no recollection of what was eaten on this day (due to a lack of photographic evidence), a final assessment cannot be given. However, I happen to know Julie does have a recap from the special foodie event you attended and see that it involved grilled cheese sandwiches from the Grilled Cheese Academy. Noted.

Friday: Way to end the week strong! A full day of meals made solely from home – good work!

FINAL GRADE: B

I’ll take it.

What else will I take? The absolutely beautiful blooming tulips popping up around town…

For the record, my two favorite flowers are tulips + daisies. My two favorite places in Madison are the farmer’s market + co-op. These were tulips AT the farmer’s market. Love.

Rolled in coconut + shredded chocolate, seriously – how cute are these? And I have loads of protein powder left, so be prepared to see more of these in the coming week.

After letting my food settle, I embarked on an 8-mile run. Ugh, NOT good. I managed a 10:00/mile pace but came home feeling nauseous and just blech. And definitely not hungry. I stretched, showered and jumped in my PJ’s (yes, at 5pm) before I was finally ready to eat something…

Then, I took a “cat nap,” which lasted almost three hours. Oops. I woke up at 9pm, drank some tea, read a bit, organized my Gmail calendar, cleaned my kitchen and started a new movie New York, I Love You.

And yes, I am a grandma. No shame.

This morning, I woke up feeling remarkably well-rested and overall fabulous. I guess that’s what getting enough sleep will do for you.

Upon actually getting myself out of bed, I wanted two things: coffee + pancakes.

Glad to see you’re keeping with project cleanout! Yesterday, I finished off 3 chocolate bars that were on their way out, and I haven’t replaced any yet. I feel proud of myself.
21 is my favorite movie ever, but you’ve probably seen that. I have Made of Honor on my To-Watch list by no working DVD player to speak of :-(

giiiirl, if we lived in the same city, i think we’d be bff. daisies + tulips are MY favorite flowers, followed by orchids (but those require, like, maintenance if someone gives them to you, and my black thumb would kill it instantly.)

I’d say you did a fabulous job with Project Clean Out. This gives me motivation to do my own clean out because I feel like my pantry is overflowing, yet I still somehow manage to spend $100 + at the store each week. EEeehh, I need to take some tips from you.

I LOVE Tulips. My two favorite flowers are tulips and orchids. Both which I have in my home at the moment. So lovely! :)

I love reading about all of the unique recipes you come up with! And congratulations on the B! That is above average and A-Okay in my book… I think after cleaning out my pantry/cupboards/fridge once, i have been pretty good at keeping only the few items that i really need/want in there while minimizing the useless… However i still have a bottle of ginger sauce in there that i strictly remember buying for me 20th birthday dinner but never opening… I should probably toss that out, but like you, i hate wasting food! I have a TON of favs (movie wise), but here are just a few that i would definitely recommend: The Terminal (Tom Hanks), Father of the Bride (Part 1 & 2, Classic!), 500 Days of Summer, Brothers, Hook, The Edge (Great Outdoorsy Movie), Instinct, Alaska, Definitely Maybe, Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle, Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (Obviously)…

I think you did great with the challenge! I have trouble saving $$ at the grocery store, its the one place I let myself go a little nutso. Love the protein cookies. I am going to have to put this on the to try list. I wonder fi they’ll work well with my jay robb egg white protein? Um…I’m a total Grandma too and I love every minute of it ;) Favorite flowers (oh gosh- so many…I worked at a flower shop growing up) calla lilies, hydrangea, peonies, thistle, bells of ireland (more of a green). Favorite movies (I love dumb humor)- Wedding crashers, Harold and Kumar (yes…I did really just type that), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, How to Lose a Guy in 10 days (who doesn’t like some cheese?).

I’m moving in 3 weeks, I need to do “project clean out my whole damn pantry” haha. I clicked on that braised cabbage link, omg. So good. Must try soon. Awesome idea for that pancake berry sauce. Favourite flowers are lilies! I love sunflowers too though :) Favourite movie of all time is High Fidelity. It’s a really good book too!

I really don’t have a fave flower! Awful, I know. I love tulips, and that’s about all I recognize. I’d rather someone give me a six-pack of Leinenkugel.

Ooooh movies. MamaJ recommends An Education (or w/e the proper title is for that). Death at a Funeral, BRITISH AKA ORIGINAL version is amazing. Calendar Girls. Drop Dead Gorgeous. Best In Show. Under the Tuscan Sun (sooo cheese, I know). Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Cat!). Young Victoria (I want to see that, at least). Ummmm… I could go on.

I always try to hold off on the grocery store for as long as I can. My stupid love of fruit and carrots keeps me going back way too frequently… Gerber daisies are my very favorite! Can you make me no bake protein cookies when I come to Madison next month? Because those look divine!

yum to those cookies!
so i have posted this week about vegan protein and also about my own threshold for not toooo much protein powder, but i use Sun Warrior brown rice. Have used Jay R and i think i like Sun better but pretty close. Anyway, didnt know you were a brown rice girl, figured that since you do dairy you’d be a whey girl. What brown rice prot powd do you like the best?
Have a stellar week Holly!

Hey, dudette! Fave Flower? Star gazer lilies. It’s like my favorite watercolor sneezed while trying to escape from a full bloom. As far as movies go, I’m a fan of quirkier films: Amelie, Imagine Me & You, Secretary (which is weird, but sweet), and Sione’s Wedding (aka Samoan Wedding). If you have the time, I’d also recommend Whale Rider or Spirited Away. Or anything by Pixar.

I hope the rest of your day was productive! We watched “The Invention of Lying” last night. Me no likey. And that’s no lie. My faves are Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Little Miss Sunshine, About a Boy and Mary Poppins.

im a grandma too! but the other way around, i like to go to bed early!! haha…the pancakes look SO delicious!!

that braised cabbage dish loooks SO amazing! for som reason, cooking cabbage intimidates me but I dont know why!! I guess I just need to find a good recipe for it, right?!
favorite flower—I LOVE tulips!

favorite movie…thats a toughie I do love the blind side that I just saw recently and also YES MAN! with jim carrey!! mystic river is a great movie, I love sean penn :)

Going to sleep after an eight mile run does not, in fact, make you a grandma. Having the motivation to cart your rear out the door to run it makes you a Super Hero and cat napping is needed even by Super Heros.

Favorite Flowers are Iris and Tulips (Going to Amsterdam for the Tulip Festival this weekend!!) Best movies ever are: Return to Me, French Kiss, and Dracula Dead and Loving It…

Fav flower? PEONIES! They are just so darling. Fav movies: How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Mean Girls, and John Tucker Must Die. So they aren’t the most intellectual movies ever, but they are do have some eye candy in them. Yes, I have no shame. Anyway, have a fab Monday y’all. Oh and good luck to those Boston marathoners out there!! I’m totally being a creeper and cheering you on from my office window!!

Tell the truth–did the cabbage really smell good or are you leading me on? The recipe looks delicious but I am a tad hesitant. Last time I made cabbage it didn’t make my roommate (i.e. my husband) very happy.

Go-to movies that I could watch over and over? Annie Hall, Little Women, The Royal Tenenbaums and Almost Famous

there ain’t no thang wrong with getting into your pjs at 5 pm. as far as i’m concerned, one SHOULD get into their pjs once they’re clean/not going out again for the day. this is usually at 8 pm for me, awesome.

i truly truly have to embark on a project clean out, it’s getting a little scurry. mayhaps this week?

oh man, i sucked at project cleanout…and i really wanted to get an A too…gah. looks like i need to make a more legit effort this week. im very torn between my desire to dine at the fancy places in NYC before we bounce and wanting to semi preserve the state of my bank account and not waste food.